Coke and Olympic pins

It’s been said that Olympic pin trading in the Number 1 spectator sport in the world. I think that’s true. At the Games, you’re so in the moment, trying to remember what you’ve seen and done, and it’s very easy to get caught up in the frenzy of pin trading.

Like Coca-Cola, pin trading really is a great way to bring two people from different cultures together. You don’t even have to share a common language, because you actually can just point to the pin you want – just like sharing a Coke.

We created the first Coca-Cola Official Olympic Pin Trading Center at the 1988 Games in Calgary. More than 17,000 visitors gathered daily – not bad for our first center!

In 1988 in Seoul, Korea, Coke sponsored two pin trading centers and a nationwide contest among Korea’s 11.7 million students to design the first-ever commemorative pin for the Opening Ceremony.

At least 1.2 million pins were traded during the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. Later that year, at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, the number of visitors to the pin trading centers increased to over 500,000, representing more than 70 countries, and more than 2 million pins were traded at the Coca-Cola Official Olympic Pin Trading Centers and “PinMobiles.” (Back then, the Winter and Summer Olympics took place in the same year; they weren’t spread out like they are now.)

Coke continued to help pin traders find a good “home” at every Olympics since 1988. In Athens in 2004, the Coca-Cola Official Pin Trading Center made its 10th straight appearance at the Games.

The photo I’ve included here is of our wall of pins in the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. Be careful once you start collecting them or you soon could have this many! And check back here for more information about Coke and the Olympics.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands, 18 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options. Our billion-dollar brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates.